Adolf Kaure
Namibia is set to co-host the 16th edition of the International Cricket Council (ICC) U/19 Cricket World Cup alongside Zimbabwe this month.
Cricket Namibia’s marketing manager, Natalia Nauyoma said that despite Namibia not qualifying for the spectacle, they are ready to welcome the cream of global cricket.
“We are a small country, yes, but with a mighty heart and a global voice. This is Namibia at its very best — resilient, ambitious, and ready to welcome the world,” she said.
The 2026 ICC U/19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will be broadcast in more than 204 countries, reaching a potential audience of over a billion people.
The tournament will start on Thursday, 15 January, when India takes on the United States, while the final is scheduled to be played on 6 February.
The previous edition of the competition took place in 2024 in South Africa. The tournament was won by Australia, who defeated India in the final.
India has won the tournament five times, followed by Australia, who have won it four times.
Pakistan has won it twice (in 2004 and 2006), while West Indies, South Africa, Bangladesh and England have each won it once.
Tournament format
Sixteen participating nations are divided into four groups.
The teams are:
Group A: Australia, Ireland, Japan and Sri Lanka
Group B: Bangladesh, India, New Zealand and USA
Group C: England, Pakistan, Scotland and Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, South Africa, Tanzania and West Indies
Venues
The tournament is set to be played across five venues in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Namibia will host 16 games. Matches in Namibia will take place in Windhoek at the Namibia Cricket Ground and the High Performance Oval.
Five of the 16 matches hosted in Namibia will take place this week (15-18 January).
They are as follows:
15 January – Tanzania vs West Indies (High Performance Oval)
16 January – Australia vs Ireland (Namibia Cricket Ground) and Afghanistan vs South Africa (High Performance Oval)
17 January – Japan vs Sri Lanka (Namibia Cricket Ground)
18 January – West Indies vs Afghanistan (High Performance Oval) All matches are scheduled to start at 09h30.
